Eating Right With Ray

Ground Beef and Sweet Potatoes!!

Ground beef and sweet potatoes are honestly so good. There are so many ways you can pair the two up, that is why these two items remain a staple in my house. Sweet potatoes are easy to keep because their shelf life is longer than other veggies, and ground beef can easily be stored in the freezer. I also keep canned tomatoes and broth in my pantry, making this recipe a go to when I don’t have a lot of time or motivation.

In my version I like to add black beans and lentils to increase the fiber and protein in the dish. Unfortunately for this time I ran out of lentils but I will still include them in the recipe. Sweet potatoes are the carb and help add a bit of sweetness to the dish. I like to garnish my hash with cilantro, cabbage, and Siete tortilla chips. This brand is awesome and has amazing ingredients.

I plan to make this dish when I am getting to the end of the week so that I can throw any leftover veggies in it so nothing goes to waste. If you don’t have exactly everything on hand take a look in your pantry and find what sounds good to you!

What can I use in this dish?

Almost anything. The ground beef, sweet potatoes, some sort of canned tomato, and chilis are my non-negotiables. Other than those ingredients I just look at what I have and decide what sounds good.

Some other things to add if you have these instead

• Lentils
• Corn
• Squash
• Any kind of bean
• Ground Chicken/Turkey instead of ground beef
• Bell peppers
• Avocado
• and more!

What makes this dish healthy?

This recipe has a ton of fiber and protein! The ground beef, lentils, and beans make this recipe a total of roughly 100 grams of protein for 4 servings. That is about 25 grams of protein a serving, and if you eat dairy, adding a slice of cheese makes this dish 30 grams. The fiber content varies a lot based on what veggies you add. The version I posted has about 40 grams of fiber, 10 grams per serving. Finally, sweet potatoes are a nutrient-dense carb. They have more fiber, a lower glycemic index, and are rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Adding a fat like an avocado will fill all your nutrient needs, leaving you feeling full and energized!

Ingredients

• a drizzle of avocado oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large sweet potato
• can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• can of green chilis
• can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• half an onion (any will do)
• as many garlic cloves as you see fit (I did 4)
• about a cup of soaked lentils
• a jalapeño diced
• a couple cherry tomatoes
• cabbage
• cilantro

Spices

**I do not own any measuring cups unfortunately, so I am going to list what I used and give helpful hints. If I had it I would’ve just used a Siete seasoning packet. **

• Chili powder (about 4 Tbs, but less if you like less spice)
• Cumin (about 2 Tbs)
• Garlic powder (measure with heart)
• Onion powder (again with your heart)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions!

Step 1

Drizzle some avocado oil in a pan and brown your ground beef. I like mine to be crispy so I brown it until it sticks slightly to the pan. Then add the diced onions, minced garlic, and diced jalapeños. Cook for about 3-5 minutes and then put the mixture in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2

I add a little bit of broth (or water) or whatever I have on hand to deglaze the pan. Then add your diced tomatoes, chilis, black beans, lentils, and diced sweet potatoes (anything that might take a while to cook). Let this simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes or until your sweet potatoes are fork-tender and your lentils are soft.

Step 3

Now you can add your meat mixture back into the simmer sweet potato mixture. If you like cheese then now would be the time to add it. I personally don’t add cheese, but I do like to top it with cilantro, cabbage, and add a side of tortilla chips!

Recipe Notecard